Conventionally, a charge cable device having a cable extending from a charge power source such as a power supply station is well known. A charge connector to be attached to a charge inlet of a vehicle is arranged on a top of the cable. In general, the charge cable device includes a long cable for sufficiently reaching the charge inlet even when the charge cable device charges various vehicles having different positions of the charge inlet, and the vehicle parks at various parking positions in various parking directions with respect to the power supply station (i.e., a charge station).
However, the number of cable extending from the charge station is one. Accordingly, if the charge station charges electricity to multiple vehicles simultaneously, it is necessary to switch a connection. Thus, for example, when the vehicle is changed at mid night, the station can charge only one vehicle at one night.
In order to solve the above difficulties, JP-A-2010-110054 (corresponding to US 2011/0149455) teaches a charge cable unit. In this charge cable unit, the cable includes one insertion plug to a commercial power source and two charge connectors since the cable is divided into two cable parts at the middle of the cable. A switching device is arranged at the middle of the cable as a dividing point. When the unit completes to charge one vehicle with one charge connector, the unit automatically switches from the one charge connector to another charge connector so that the unit charges another vehicle with another charge connector. Thus, the electricity supply is switched from one vehicle to another vehicle so that the unit can charge two vehicles automatically.
In the above unit, since a branch system (a dividing construction) of the cable is preliminary determined, the unit can charge only preliminary determined vehicles. Thus, expandability or flexibility of the unit is very limited. Further, since the branch system of the cable is specified, non-used connector is not necessary if the number of vehicles to be charged is varied.